“We are thrilled with the players we selected this weekend in Pittsburgh,” said Ducks Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden. “We were extremely fortunate to land Orange County native Nicolas Kerdiles at 36th overall. Frederik Andersen has an opportunity next season at the pro level and we also added some size on the blueline.”

Kerdiles, 18 (1/11/94), becomes the first Anaheim Ducks draft selection who was raised in Orange County (born in Lewisville, TX). The Irvine, CA resident led the U.S. National Under-18 squad with 20-22=42 points in 50 contests in 2011-12. His seven power play goals also led the club, while his four game-winning goals ranked second. The 6-2, 201-pound winger has been invited to attend the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp this August.

As a member of Team USA, Kerdiles won gold at both the 2011 and 2012 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championships. In the 2012 tournament, he scored a team high 2-3=5 points in the gold-medal game against Sweden. In addition, he scored the overtime goal in Team USA’s semifinal game at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Kerdiles has committed to play with the University of Wisconsin of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in the Fall.

Andersen, 22 (10/2/89), appeared in 39 games for Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League last season, posting a 1.67 goals-against average (GAA) with seven shutouts and a .941 save percentage (SV%). A native of Herning, Denmark, Andersen has represented Team Denmark at the last four IIHF World Championships in Finland/Sweden (2012), Slovakia (2011) and Germany (2010) and Switzerland (2009). He was also a member of the Danish team at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

Andrew O'Brien was the first of four defensemen taken by the Ducks during the second day of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Roy, 19 (5/20/93), was named the 2011-12 United States Hockey League (USHL) Player of the Year after becoming the first player in the league’s current format (since 2002) to score 50 goals. Roy led the league with 54-50=104 points and helped Lincoln to a 38-18-4 regular-season record, the most wins for the Stars in 10 years. In the 2012 USHL playoffs, he led Lincoln with seven goals and 10 points (7-3=10), before the Stars were eliminated in the Western Conference Final series by Waterloo.

O’Brien, 19 (11/21/92), collected 8-21=29 points with a +2 rating with 95 PIM in 68 games with Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last season. Among team defensemen, he ranked second in scoring and assists, and tied for first in goals. The 6-3, 200-pound defenseman added 1-9=10 points in 18 QMJHL Playoff games, helping lead his team to a semifinal appearance against Saint John. O’Brien made his QMJHL debut with Chicoutimi in 2010-11, recording 1-9=10 points with 33 PIM in 55 games.

Cooper, 18 (11/1/93), scored 6-18=24 points with a +16 rating and 92 PIM in 55 games with Fargo (USHL) in 2011-12. The Anchorage, AK native ranked second among club defensemen in points, while his +16 rating ranked second overall on the club. The 5-10, 180-pound blueliner scored a career-high 11-22=33 points in 51 games with Fargo in 2010-11, ranking tied for sixth among USHL defensemen. Cooper has committed to play with the University of Nebraska-Omaha (WCHA) in the Fall.

Helgesen, 18 (3/19/94), appeared in 58 games with Calgary of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2011-12, earning 3-11=14 points with a +7 rating and 63 PIM. The 6-3, 186-pound defenseman also played five WHL Playoff games in 2012, going scoreless with two PIM.

Megna, 19 (12/10/92), appeared in 35 games for the University of Nebraska-Omaha (WCHA) last season, scoring 2-3=5 points with 8 PIM. In 2010-11, the 6-4, 164-pound blueliner scored 1-17=18 points with 24 PIM in 55 games with Muskegon (USHL).